Improvement in track-clearers for railway cars



UNrrn STATES IMPROVEMENT IN TRACK-CLEARERS FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Specification forming part 'of Letters Patent N o. 116,673, dated July 4, 1871.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL CROLL BOYER, of Norristown, county of lVIontgomery, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a rlrack-Clearer for Railway Cars, of which the following is a speci tication:

My invention consists of a device, too fully explained hereafter to need preliminary description, whereby railroad tracks are cleared of obstructions, and accidents to the cars, or to those falling in front of the same, are prevented.

Figure l is a vertical section of my improved track-clearer for railway cars, and Fig. 2 an inverted plan view of Fi 1.

A represents part of the frame of a eity-rail way car, or it may be supposed to represent part of the frame of a coal or freight-ear, or of the truck of a railroad car, the frame bein provided with the usual axles B B and iianged wheels D D. To a cross-bar, E, of this frame are hung two levers or arms, G G, which are connected, I at their lower ends, by rods a a, to a transverse bar, II, suspended from the frame by links b, and connected to a rod, h, to be operated by a lever or other devices, by which the said rod can be pulled in the direction of the arrow, or released, at pleasure. A shaft, I, has its bearings in the two levers G G; and to this shait are secured the wheels J J, so situated that their treads shall coincide with those of the adjoining flanged wheels D I); and to the same shaft, between the said wheels J J, is secured a drum, K, luted or ribbed in the manner shown in the drawing, or in any other appropriate manner,

the wheels J having teeth similar in shape to.

the ribs or flutes of the drum.

When the car is moving in the direction ofthe arrow l, Fig. l, and sufficient force has been ap plied to the rod It to bring the wheels J into tight frictioual contact with the adjoining' iianged wheels D D, the shaft I will revolve in the direction of its arrows, and its wheels J J and drum K will consequently clear from the track any obstruction which might impede the progress of the ear, or cause the latter to leave the track, the drum clearing the track between the rails, and the wheels J performing the same duty as regards the rails themselves.

It is not absolutely necessary that the roller should be ribbed or iiuted, or that the wheels J J should have projections 5 for theywill perform their duties if made plain, but not so eii'ectually as if made in the manner described.

My invention is especially applicable to street cars, as no serious accident could occur to any one accidentally fallingin front of the car.

The wheels J J may consist of old car-wheels; and it will be seen that while the rod L may be used, yet under ordinary circumstances the weight ofthe wheels and ofthe drum will maintain the said wheels in sufficient frictional contact with the adjoining iianged wheels D D to insure the transmission of a rotary motion to the shaft I without the necessity of depending 011 the uncertain action of springs or of devices operated by the driver. The wheels J J will of themselves serve to prevent many accidents, but they are rendered more eifeetual by the presence of the drum. Both the wheels and drum should revolve so near the track as to remove ordinary obstructions, without, however, being in actual contact either with the rails or ground.

I claim- 1. The wheels J, suspended by swinging arms G so as to be maintained in contact with and operated by the iianged wheels of a car, as specilied.

2. The combination of the above with the drum K on the shaft I.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name 'rEN'r OFFICE. 

